Lesson 1: Basic Concepts and

Principles in Assessing Learning

What is Assessment in Learning ?
 Can be defined as the systematic and purpose-oriented
collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence of
student learning in order to make informed decisions
relevant to the learners.
 In essence, the aim of assessment is to use evidence on
student learning to further promote and manage learning.
 Assessment in learning can be characterized as (a)
process, (b) based on specific objectives, and (c) from
multiple sources.
How is assessment in learning similar or different from
the concept of measurement or evaluation of
learning ?
 Measurement can be defined as the process of
quantifying the attributes of the object, whereas
evaluation may refer to the process of making value
judgements on the information collected from
measurement based on specified criteria.
 In the context of assessment in learning, measurement
refers to the actual collection of information on student
learning through the use of various strategies and tools,
while evaluation refers to the actual process of making
a decision or judgement on student learning based on
the information collected from measurement.
How is assessment in learning similar or different from
the concept of measurement or evaluation of
learning ?

 Therefore, assessment can be considered as an

umbrella term consisting of measurement and
evaluation. However, there are some authors who
consider assessment as distinct and separate from
evaluation.
Assessment and Testing
 Testing is the most common form of assessment.
 In the educational context, testing refers to the use of
a test or battery of tests to collect information on
student learning over a specific period of time.
 A test is a form of assessment, but not all assessments
use tests.
 A test can be categorized as either a selected-response
type or constructed-response type.
 A test can make use of objective format or subjective
format.
Assessment and Grading
 A related concept to assessment is grading, which can
be defined as the process of assigning value to the
performance or achievement of a learner based on
specified criteria or standards.
 Grading is a form of evaluation which provides
information on whether a learner passed or failed a
subject or a particular assessment task.
What are the different measurement frameworks used
in assessment?

 The two most common psychometric theories that serve

as frameworks for assessment and measurement,
especially in the determination of the psychometric
characteristics of a measure are the classical test
theory (CTT) and the item response theory (IRT).
What is Classical Test Theory (CTT)?
 Also known as the true score theory.
 Explains that variations in the performance of
examinees on a given measure is due to variations in
their abilities.
 Provides an estimation of the item difficulty based on
the frequency or number of examinees who correctly
answer a particular item; items with fewer number of
examinees with correct answers are considered more
difficult.
 Also provides an estimation of item discrimination
based on the number of examinees with higher or lower
ability to answer a particular item.
What is Item Response Theory (IRT)?
 Analyzes test items by estimating the probability that
an examinee answers an item correctly or incorrectly.
 One of the central differences of IRT from CTT is that in
IRT, it is assumed that the characteristic of an item can
be estimated independently of the characteristic or
ability of the examinee and vice-versa. Aside from item
difficulty and item discrimination indices, IRT analysis
can provide significantly more information on items and
tests.
What are the different types of
assessment in learning?
 The most common types are formative, summative,
diagnostic, and placement.
 Other experts would describe the types of assessment
as traditional and authentic.
Formative Assessment
 Refers to assessment activities that provide information
to both teachers and learners on how they can improve
the teaching-learning process.
 It is used at the beginning and during instruction for
teachers to assess learners’ understanding.
 The information collected on student learning allows
teachers to make adjustments to their instructional
process and strategies to facilitate learning.
 It can inform learners about their strengths and
weaknesses to enable them to take steps to learn better
and improve their performance as the class progresses.
Summative Assessment
 Refers to assessment activities that aim to determine
learners’ mastery of content or attainment of learning
outcomes.
 It provides information on the quantity or quality of
what students have learned or achieved at the end of
instruction.
 While data from summative assessment are typically
used for evaluating learners’ performance in class,
these data also provide teachers with information about
the effectiveness of their teaching strategies and how
they can improve their instruction in the future.
Diagnostic Assessment
 It aims to detect the learning problems or difficulties of
the learners so that corrective measures or interventions
are done to ensure learning.
 It is usually done right after seeing signs of learning
problems in the course of teaching.
 It can also be done at the beginning of the school year for
spirally-designed curriculum so that corrective measures/
actions are applied if pre-requisite knowledge and skills
for the targets of instruction have not been mastered yet.
Placement Assessment
 It is usually done at the beginning of the school year to
determine what the learners already know or what are
their needs that could inform design of instruction.
 Grouping of learners based on the results of placement
assessment is usually done before instruction to make it
relevant to address the needs or accommodate the
entry performance of the learners.
Traditional Assessment
 It refers to the use of conventional strategies or tools to
provide information about the learning of students.
 It is often used as basis for evaluating and grading
learners.
 It is more commonly used in classrooms.
 It is an inauthentic type of assessment.
Authentic Assessment
 It refers to the use of assessment strategies or tools
that allow learners to perform or create a product that
are meaningful to the learners, as they are based on
real-world contexts.
 The authenticity of assessment tasks is best described
in terms of degree rather than the presence or absence
of authenticity. Hence, an assessment can be more
authentic or less authentic compared with other
assessments.
 The most authentic assessments are those that allow
performances that most closely resemble real-world
tasks or applications in real-world settings or
environment.
What are the core principles in assessing
learning?
1. Assessment should have a clear purpose.
2. Assessment is not an end in itself.
3. Assessment is an ongoing, continuous, and a formative process.
4. Assessment is learner-centered.
5. Assessment is both process- and product-oriented.
6. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic.
7. Assessment requires the use of appropriate measures.
8. Assessment must be as authentic as possible.
Activity #1
To determine whether you have acquired the needed
information about the basic concepts and principles in
assessment, use a sheet of bond paper to draw a metaphor
( any object, thing, or action you could liken assessment to)
that will illustrate what is assessment in learning.
Example: A thermometer can be drawn as a metaphor for
assessment , if you consider measurement or collection of
information from a person. The information is then used by
medical personnel to make decisions relative to the collected
information. This is similar to the process of assessment.
Activity # 2
Based on the lessons on the core principles in assessing learning, select
three principles and explain them in relation to your experience with a
previous or current teachers in your subjects.
Example:
PrincipleIllustration of Practice
Assessment should be In our practicum we were asked to prepare a
lesson plan then
as authentic as possible execute the plan in front of the students with
my teacher around to evaluate my performance. The actual planning of
the lesson and its execution in front of the class and the teacher is a
very authentic way of assessing my ability to…
Use a clean sheet of paper for this work.
PRINCIPLE ILLUSTRATION OF PRACTICE
1.  1.
2.  2.
3.  3.
Activity #3
 Prepare a plan on how you will conduct assessment based
on the principles you have learned. Refer to the K to 12
curriculum in identifying the competencies targeted by
instruction and how you intend to assess your future
students while following the principles in assessing
learning. Use the matrix provided to write your ideas on
how you should design and conduct assessment of student
learning based on the core principles.
 Activity # 3
Plan for Applying the
Principle
Principles in your
Classroom
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
7. 7.
8. 8.